Grooving to Indo-electronica

Creating new sounds is their passion. Pioneers of the Indo-electronica movement, Midival Punditz, the brainchild of musicians Tapan Raj and Gaurav Raina, blends electronica with Indian classical music to create a unique groove. In the city to perform at a concert, the band members got talking about the current Indian music scene and Bollywood’s looming presence in it.

Clarifying that they are not to be mistaken for an “Indo-fusion” band, Tapan Raj, the co-founder, says, “We are not just about creating Indo-Western fusion music. We blend different genres to create new sounds rather than “fuse” music. This trend started with Zakir Hussain in the 1970s and has been growing since then.”

And the fact that Indian listeners have evolved over the years has helped, Tapan admits. “The genre was a niche one when we started out 10 years ago, but now people are accepting us. They are more open to experimentation in music. Young Indians are bored of listening to the same old, run-of-the-mill sounds. The commercial viability has increased for electro-Indo music too,” he says.

The band is also cashing in on the fact that Bollywood has warmed up to this genre and made it popular. “Nine years ago, one of our songs was included in the OST of Monsoon Wedding. It was a big deal then and the song was the talk of the town, but now flimmakers are using new sounds in most films as they are more open to experimenting. It’s not just Bollywood that is welcoming Indo-electronica, but Hollywood as well,” adds Tapan.

Having performed in cities all over the world, the band’s artistes feel that the only glitch in India is that it lacks adequate infrastructure. “When compared to the global music scene, the only thing we lack is the infra-structure to pull off a concert like the Glastonbury Festival. From resources like lights and music equipment to the hospitality facilities, we lag behind the international music scene significantly,” says Tapan.

The band’s vocalist, Tapon Mohanto, couldn’t agree more. “If only we were as technically and technologically advanced as other countries, we could do wonders. The electronica scene here is only catching up.”